Less than a week ago, Quick Step Alfa Vinyl boss Patrick Lefevere said he doubted that Fabio Jacobsen would compete in Milan-San Remo. But just to be sure, Jacobsen left Paris-Nice for an hour along the coast to San Remo to preview the last 60 km. [The race was called on Wednesday after world champion Julian Alaphilippe came down with bronchitis.

Jacobsen, 25, has been a strong sprinter this season, winning seven races in 18 days. That he is a professional cyclist today is a miracle of modern medicine and perseverance. Jacobsen told a pre-race press conference that he was lucky to be able to race in the sport's biggest one-day race after suffering a near-fatal injury at the 2020 Tour of Poland.

"It's special. I'm enjoying being a pro cyclist again and I've been taking it step by step. I had a good winter and now I will race in San Remo. It's one of my dream races as a sprinter and I want to train and prepare for it.

"It's really great to be here and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Maybe not when I hit Cipressa or Poggio, but in the meantime I will be happy to be able to ride my bike, to race here, to accomplish something on my first monument."

Milano-Sanremo was supposed to be Jacobsen's future goal, but he will make his Monument debut on Saturday as many in the peloton have contracted various viruses and many of the favorites to win will be absent. Gone are last year's winner Jasper Stuyven (Trek Segafredo), 2019 winner Alaphilippe, two-time runner-up Caleb Yuan (Lotto Soudal) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious), while Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) Some players, like Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), will not be able to race at full strength.

"Nobody wants to be sick. You don't go to the hospital or stay in bed all day, but some athletes have a fever of 38 degrees (C) or more. It can destroy your physical condition," Jacobsen said.

"We spend three or four months building our bodies before we get here. And if you get a small virus that infects your airways or if you get gastroenteritis, which some athletes get, all the preparation - not that it disappears - but the last 3-4 percent that you need to be at your best will be lost."

Tour de France champions Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) were healthy at the last check, alternately beating their rivals.

Jakobsen is hoping the race will come back for a group sprint.

"I just want to get into the first group of Via Roma and start sprinting and see how my legs are, I would say I can sprint at 290km, but honestly, I have no idea."

"I don't think I've ever been on a bike for more than seven hours. I think my longest training and longest race ever was six hours. But one-day races are something different. You can empty everything out. I think we'll find out tomorrow when we get into San Remo."

Jacobsen, who made a reconnaissance trip last Sunday, expects to have a better idea of his potential when the race reaches the three "capis" (three coastal climbs between 240 and 255 km).

"Capo Verta is the hardest climb of the bunch, percentage-wise. You will definitely feel the legs there. If I don't feel it, I will have a good chance to win in San Remo. Cipressa is a little steeper and a little longer than Poggio, but the race can be a little locked up there and the path is wider than Poggio.

"Cipressa takes about 10 minutes to climb. Difficult. But on a good day, with good legs, I think I can stay in the group. Now it's just a matter of getting into position for Poggio and seeing if I can push for about five minutes."

"Normally, with my shape and the power to push, I should be able to do it. But when you run 270 or 280 kilometers, it's a whole different ballgame. I think I have a good chance. I think it's 50-50, depending on how I'm feeling, how the race goes, and what the other teams and riders are doing."

"In terms of conditions, I don't think I've ever been in better shape or at a better level than I am now, even in the past years. So if there is no tomorrow, it's something that has never happened in my career."

Jacobsen, while keeping in mind the many bunch sprint finishes in Milan-San Remo, recognizes that the last time a bunch sprint was won was by Arnaud Demare in 2016. If a sprint competition were to take place, he would like to be a part of it.

"Not every year there is a group sprint, but if I am not there and there is a group sprint, I will be disappointed sitting at home on my couch.

"It's my first monument, and probably the monument where I have the greatest chance of a win, a result, or a podium in the future. And who would have thought a year and a half ago that I would be here now?"